Foaming composition



'. Patented Feb. 18,1941

1 UNITED, S ATES 2,232,053 FoAMm'c coMrosmor;

Karl Daimler, Frankfort-on-the-Main-Hochst, and Max Paquin, Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, assignors, by mesne assignments, to General Aniline & Film Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application January 13, Se- No. 250,712. In Germany February 10,

8 Claims. (01. eta-s) The present invention relates to a liquid, very stable foaming composition in a concentrated form, which when diluted with water in the usual manner to a more .or less high degree and 5 then worked up with gases. yields a. fire-extinguishing foam of an especially good stability and, besides, even at anelevated temperature, of .a suiiicient resistance to alcohol and, moreover, to acetone, butylacetate, ether and similar solvents, particularly hydrophilic solvents.

By the processes hitherto suggested for the preparation of such foaming compositions the said problem is only insufficiently solved and the compositions thus prepared cannot be used fonextinguishing burning alcohol, acetone and the like. I z

According to this invention protective colloids are mixed' in-water with watersoluble salts of certain fatty acids'and with watersoluble com-' plex compounds of ammonia and a. metal.

also possible to use in the composition, instead of the finished complex compounds of ammonia and a 'metal, an excess of ammonia and such metal compounds as form watersolublecomplex. compounds with the ammonia. Such ammoniametal complex compounds are especially zinc chloride ammonia, zinc sulfate ammonia, copper hydroxide ammonia, copper sulfate ammonia, copper acetate ammonia and other compounds of zinc and copper. Metalsalts which do not form complex compounds with ammonia, for instance aluminium salts or aluminium soaps are not adapted for the new composition; and also thesalts of copper or zinc can likewise not be used in the absence of ammonia, asin this case the said complex compounds cannot be formedf Suitable: fatty acid salts are especially the salts of fatty acids or ,mixtures thereof having 7 to I11 carbon atoms in a branched or unbranched chain 40 which may also contain unsaturated constitu- -ents. The said salts may beused in admixture with the salts of fatty acids having 4 to. 6 or 12 carbon atoms. Mixtures of such fatty acids are.

- obtained, for instance, as, first runnings in the distillation of fatty acids produced in the syn thesis of paraflln or by oxidation as by-products of the synthesis of butanol. They are distin guishedfrom the proper fatty acids of higher molecular weishtby their physical properties,

particularly by their low melting and boiling points: they are liquid at ordinary temperature. Suitable protective colloids are, forinstance,

glue and gelatineand especially the products obtained by an alkaline or acid degradation of albumen substancesof' any kind which products carried out in any desired foam-forming apparatus; the solutions ready for use thus obtained are still liquid in the cold and contain about 5.0 per cent of water; furthermore theremay' be used watersoluble derivatives of cellulose tragacanth, sludge of algae, carrageen moss, pectines and the like, watersolub1e salts of lignin arid of sulfo- 5;

lignin, watersoluble salts of humis acid, furthermore sugars and molasses. There may, of course, likewise be used various mixtures of these protective colloids. Preventatives against freezing,

- dyestuffs for characterization purposes and the ll) like maybe added during the the extracts. I I g The concentrated compositions prepared according to the invention yield a foam stable to.

preparation of alcohol and other solvents only if no proper wetin ting agents-such as sulfonic acids of high molecular weight and no saponine are used. Clear, stable, highly concentrated parent solutions contaming not more than .75 per cent of water, It is i. e. extracts ofthe foaming composition are 20 obtained by mixing the protective colloids withthe fatty acids and with an excess of ammonia (in 'a concentrated form) and then running in, while stirring, the aqueous solution of. a metal salt of as high a concentration as possible, The 25 metal salt reacts with the excess of ammonia so as to form a water-soluble complex compound as far as the same'is capable of existence. Another procedureyespecially applied in the case of copper salts .or copper hydroxide, con 30 sists in first dissolving thesalts -in water and an excess-of ammonia, mixing the solution with the protective colloid and then introducing the fatty acid, while stirring. If in the one or other case the extracts obtained are not at once clear, 35

'this property may readily'be attained by a. small increase of the quantity of ammonia,. provided that the above named fatty acids and metal compounds capable of forming complex compounds with ammonia have been applied.

The parent solutions obtained arediluted with water of any desired hardness either before or during the preparatibn of foam which may be have generally a strength of 0.5 to 10 per cent.

- The compositions are distinguished by a high visent invention the tables show compositions pre- '55 v pared in another manner which do not yield a stance in contact p rts, is prevented useful loam.

Table I with glowing metal. or wood Waste liquor oi cellulose suliite 50 percent streugth.. Molames 50 percent strengt Glue degraded by means of N H 50 percent strength. Fatty acid obtained by the oxidation of parafiin (7-9 carbon atoms) Ferrous chloride Water (percent) oi the concentrated foamin compos Resistance to alcohol 0! the foam"-- -l Clear Good Clear Good 'lurbid Bad 5 .Table II soslition gi glue degraded by means of XOR 50 percent Waste liquor oi cellulose sulfit/e, delimed 50 percent :h-nnnfh Ammonia 25 percent strength Synthetic fatty acid obtained by the oxidation oi synthetic parafli n: (a 7-9 carbon atoms Oleic acid (18 carbon atoms) Zinc chloride. Copper acetate- Water (percent of the entire composition) Appearance oi the extract of the foaming composition Foam-forming power of a solution of 2 percent strength made into foam in the LEG-engine Resistance to alcohol oi the foam Waste liquor of cellulose sulfite 50 percent strength Solution 0 saponine 50 percent strength Ammonia 25 percent strength Synthetic fatty acid obtained by the oxidation of synthetic paraflin 7 tot carbon atoms Synthetic fatty acid obtained in the synthesis of 11 one Y (b) 9-11 carbon atoms Palmnut-kernel oil fatty acid 12-1 6 carbon atoms Oleic acid 18 carbon atoms Zinc chloride Water (percent) Appearance oi the concentrated foaming co posltio Foam-forming power of a solution of 2 percent strength in water of 20 German hardness made into roam in the LFG-engine.

Resistance to alcohol oi the foam Good Good

Good Clear Good Good

Lumpy No loam Lumpy No loam Clear Moderate Clear Good Bad Examples Nos. 6, '1 a e of Table I show that compositions containing such metal salts as do not form complex compounds with ammonia are not suitable; Examples Nos. 2, 3, 5 and 6 of Table II and Nos. 4 and 5 of Table III are compositions containing salts of fatty acids with more than 12 carbon atoms which, therefore, are unsuitable.

Examples 6 and '7- of Table III show that the'foam' obtained from compositions lacking complex compounds of metal salts and ammonia or protective J colloids are not resistant to alcohol. The feature of a. good resistance to alcohol of the 10am produced together with a good yield and stability of the foam is characteristic for the new c0m-.

positions.

The resistance to alcohol and acetone of the foam is proved by the fact that the foam produced floating on the alcohol or any other hydrophilic liquid'remains stable for a. very long time and is noteaten up by the alcohol. Owing to this stability 9, re-infiamingofth'e alcohol for hilguishing oi the-flames. The special resistance of In general the composition'is used-in a dilute solution of 2 to 4 per cent strength. when, applied in a solution of 4 per cent strength, the foam forming power is in the usual devices about 8 to 10 even alter the direct extintimes as great as the volume of the starting ma terial and the stability of the 1oam.,even on solid articles, is extraordinarily great The LEG-engine used inthe examples of Tables II-and III is a plim-pwherein the liquid is mixed with air in a finisher. Finishers are tubes wherein the jets are stronglybrokenby solid bodies arranged therein (filling bodies, brushes, fibers, 'nets or the like) and astro'ng mixture-with the air added is obtained thereby, so that a to n finally results. The foaming action'oi the LFG- engine is in general stronger than that of foam tubes having an injector action.

We claim:

1. A new composition of matter, liquid at ordinary temperature and miscible with water. even at' a temperature of about C., yielding with water and gasesa stable foam for extinguishing burning hydrophilic liquids, the said composition least one fatty acid with '7 to 11 carbon atoms and of at least one fatty acid selected from the group containing 4, 5, 6 and 12 carbon atoms, protective colloids, complex compounds of ammonia and a metal which is capable of forming water-soluble complex compounds with ammonia. and not more than 75 per cent of water. I 3. A new composition of matter, liquid at ordinary temperature and miscible with water even at a temperature of about 20 C., yielding with water and gases a stable foam for extinguishing burning hydrophilic liquids, the said composition comprising water-soluble salts of at" least one fatty acid with 7 to 11 carbon atoms, at least one protective colloid selected from the group consisting of albumen, products obtained by an alkaline or acid degradation of albumen, watersoluble derivatives of cellulose, tragacanth, sludge of algae, carrageen moss, pectines, watersoluble'saltsof lignin and of suliolignin, watersoluble salts of humic acid, sugars and molasses,

complex compounds 'of ammonia and a metal which is-capable of forming water-soluble comp1ex compounds with ammonia and not more than '75 per cent of water.

4. A new-composition of matter, liquid at ordiu nary temperature and miscible with water even at a temperature of about -20 C., yielding with water and gases a stable foam for extinguishing burning hydrophilic liquids, the said composition comprising watersoluble salts of at least one fatty acid with 7 to 11 carbon atoms, protective col-Y loids, complex compounds of ammonia and a. least one metal selected from the group consisting of zinc and copper and not more than '75 per cent of water.

5 A new composition of matter, liquid at ordi-' nary temperature and miscible with water evenat a temperature of about 20" 0., yielding with water and gases a stable foam for extinguishing burning hydrophilic liquids, the said composiaeaaoos comprising water-soluble salts of at least one fatty acid with 7 to 11 carbon atoms, protective tions comprising watersoluble salts of at least one fatty acid with 7 to 11 carbon atoms and of at comprising watersoluble salts of at least one fatty -acid with 7 to 11 carbon atoms and of at least one fatty acid selected from the group containing 4, 5, 6 and 12 carbon atoms, at least one protective colloid selected from the group consisting of albumen, watersoluble'derivatives of cellulose, products obtained by an alkaline or acid degradation of albumen, tragacanth, sludge of algae, car,- rageen moss, pectines, watersoluble salts of lignin and of sulfolignin, watersoluble salts of humic acid, sugars and molasses, complex compounds of ammonia and a metal which is capable of forming water-soluble complex compounds with ammonia and not more than '75 per cent of water. Y

7. Anew composition of matter, liquid at ordinary temperature and miscible with water even at a. temperature of about -20 C., yielding with water and gases a stable ioamfor extinguishing burning hydrophilic liquids, the said composition comprising watersoluble salts of at least one fatty acid with 7 to 11 carbon atoms, at least one protective colloid selected from the group consisting of albumen, products obtained by an alkaline or acid degradation of albumen, watersoluble-derivatives of cellulose, tragacanth, sludge of algae, carragee'n moss, pectines, watersoluble salts of lignin and of sulfolignin, watersoluble salts of humic ,acid, sugars and molasses, complexcompounds of ammonia and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of zinc and copper and not more than percent of water.

8. A new composition of matter, liquid at ordinary temperature and miscible with water even at a temperature of about -20 C., yielding with sisting of albumen, products obtained by an alkaline or acid degradation of albumen, watersoluble derivatives of cellulose, tragacanth, sludge of algae, carrageen moss, pectines, watersoluble salts of lignin and of sulfolignin, watersoluble salts of humic acid, sugars and molasses, complex compounds of ammonia and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of zinc and copper and not more than '75 per cent of water.

, KARL DAIMLER.

MAX PAQUIN. 

